


Story V: A Vampire's Paparazzi

by seerstella



Series: Eternalizing the Moon: Daisuke's Story [5]
Category: Japanese Actor RPF, Takumi-kun Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Implied BabaNai, Implied DaiMao, M/M, Puns and References, halloween party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-21 21:49:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12466660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seerstella/pseuds/seerstella
Summary: In which Daisuke loathes a party and gets more than he bargained for.





	Story V: A Vampire's Paparazzi

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. No offense intended to the real people written here.
> 
> A/N: Another oneshot! This takes time around a year after Mao works for Daisuke, and not long after Mao finds out that his patron is a vampire. We’ll also find out something about Daisuke's silly horse a.k.a Vampire-Wannabe (who actually is not really keen to be a vampire XD). A certain part of this is based on a true-life event.
> 
> This is written (of course) for Princess Serenity-chan, thanks for the wonderful story! Also written for sd4ianto, Kei, and all the readers out there (would love to hear from you too!). Thank you for following this series, it means a lot for me.
> 
> This doesn’t relate to the canon Eternal Moon’s timeline. The major difference between this and the original fic is that in here, Mao works full-time as Daisuke’s assistant. He doesn’t act and totally left Theater Sun Mall (contrary with Canon-Eternal-Moon!Mao who’s still an actor while working for his vampire of a boss).  
> I realized that in Story IV, I’ve implied (even tho I used Princess Serenity-chan’s original words) that he doesn’t act at all in his days there as well. So, in this story, he stays as a famous actor’s assistant.
> 
> Please note that this has fully strayed from the canon Eternal Moon, and from now on this series can be read as an independent one.  
> Still, I hope you enjoy!

.

.

.

“Why _me_ , above all people?!”

Daisuke was lucky he and his friends had asked for a private room in the restaurant, because his voice was too loud to be ignored. The oldest of them paid it no heed as he sat back down and rubbed his head. “No way. I won’t come.”

“Too bad, Dai-chan!” Vampire-Wannabe replied from across the table. “We’ll love to have you.”

Daisuke shook his head stubbornly, his hand playing with the invitation Naito had given him. “I’m not even a part of you guys, Ryouma.”

“Nonsense! You hang out in our rehearsals even more than Kei-chan!”

“Hey!” Minami protested. Doori burst to laughter next to him. “I have more important things to do, just so you know!”

Naito stood and lifted his hands, trying to quiet the rest of the group. When they did, he sat back down and smirked at Daisuke. “Are you sure, Dai-chan? I always like when Baba-chan’s Seigaku refers you as Buchou from 4th Generation.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the 4th one?” Daisuke questioned wearily. It wasn’t like he’d never had this conversation before.

Vampire-Wannabe shrugged. “Four is a bad number, so we settled on 5th.”

Daisuke threw a chopstick at him, but said nothing. He was too tired of arguing, because he knew his friends would never back down.

“I know!” Naito suddenly exclaimed. “We should ask Mao-kun about this!”

That was the last straw. Daisuke opened his mouth. “I won’t let you! Stay away from him!”

“Or his manager,” Minami added calmly. “Tell Kinoshita-san we need him to spice up the party.”

“Nah, Mao-kun is enough,” Doori rebutted, his eyes twinkling dangerously. “Dai-chan will never say no to him, right? Call him, Baba-chan! If he wants to go, Dai-chan will never have a choice. Do it, do it!”

“Great idea, Doori-kun! I don’t have his number but—hey, Dai-chan! Stop that! Lemme borrow your phone! Gotcha!”

“No!” Daisuke tried to take his own phone from the table, but sometimes he cursed the fact that his friend was taller and quicker. With one swift move, Vampire-Wannabe had snatched his phone, slid out from Daisuke’s grip, and ran outside. Hands grabbed him when he tried to chase that silly horse out the restaurant. “Get back here, Ryouma!”

“Dai-chan, it’s just a party!” Naito half-shouted, half-snickered. Minami and Doori also laughed as they continued to stop Daisuke from bolting out the room and did what he wanted to do. “Take it easy. It’s not like we ask you to conquer the world or something!”

Vampire-Wannabe returned not long after, a huge grin on his face. “Done. You should hear Mao-kun, Dai-chan. He was so excited; you shouldn’t break his heart by not going.”

Daisuke paled and sagged to the floor, suddenly exhausted.

* * *

The problem was simple, actually. The TeniMyu casts were going to make a Halloween party, with Vampire-Wannabe’s Seigaku and Naito’s Hyoutei teams as hosts. They invited Daisuke because he was a frequent visitor in their rehearsals, and they’d known him so well to the point they’d once considered him as a Tezuka stand-in.

But. Halloween party meant coming with a costume, and Daisuke never liked that. He never understood the fun of applying make-ups and wearing a fancy costume for everyone to see. He stopped himself from overthinking. Damn. Look who’s talking—a stage actor. One who was more than familiar with outfits and maquillage. No. He knew that wasn’t the real problem. Well, it was, but it wasn’t that important. Daisuke would just borrow some costume from his play or something. Kyousuke or Kinoshita would be glad to take care of that.

Who was he fooling?

“Dai-chan, are you okay? Should I bring you some water?”

Daisuke looked up from the script he wasn’t reading and saw his private assistant’s worried expression. “No, no. I’m fine. When did you arrive, Mao-kun?”

“Twenty minutes ago. I’m not late, aren’t I? Kinoshita-san wanted to talk to me first.”

Truth be told, Daisuke was too distracted he didn’t know what time it was now. Well, as long as the rehearsal hadn’t started, Kyousuke wasn’t tardy. So he only shrugged and asked to be left alone. “I need to concentrate on this, Mao-kun. Will that be okay with you?”

“Of course,” Kyousuke replied. He waved his phone. “Just call me if you need something.”

“I will.”

“By the way, Dai-chan…” Daisuke knew what he was going to say, for the excitement was evident in the young man’s tone. “…I was invited with you to a Halloween party. Baba-san called me last night… using your phone.”

 _Vampire-Wannabe is_ so _dead_. “Do you want to go?”

A shy smile crossed Kyousuke’s lips. “Well, if you want to, that is…”

 _No, I don’t want to._ “We’ll go, because I know you do.”

“Really? Thanks a lot, Dai-chan! I promise I’ll pick a great costume.”

“We’ll talk about this later. Leave me now, please.”

As Kyousuke left the dressing room, a skip in his steps, Daisuke covered his face with his hands. His friends were right; Kyousuke was the only person he could never say no to.

And _that_ was the biggest problem of them all.

* * *

“Here’s your lunch. What are you thinking about, Dai-chan?”

“Thank you, Mao-kun.” Daisuke received the _bento_ and let Kyousuke claimed the seat in front of him. The theater’s canteen was empty, save for them and a few staff on the other tables. They were within nobody’s earshot, and Daisuke felt it was the best time to tell the boy what he wanted to say. “Mao-kun?”

“Yeah?” The young man looked up from his own _bento_ —thanks to Daisuke and Vampire-Wannabe’s nagging, he no longer ate sweets while his patron had his lunch—and eyed him with confusion. “What is it, Dai-chan?”

“About the party next week, Mao-kun, do you have any idea what I should wear?”

Kyousuke blinked. “You sure you want to ask me this?”

“You’re my assistant, after all,” Daisuke rebutted, trying not to sound too snappish and failed miserably. “I can ask you anything I want.”

“Right.” Kyousuke looked crestfallen, and Daisuke hit himself mentally. “If you don’t mind, I actually have an idea. Why don’t you go as a vampire? That way you don’t need any make-ups, just a costume. I can find one for you.”

Daisuke rubbed his temples. Above all creatures in this world, why _Kyousuke_ had to ask him to be _that_ one?

* * *

“Because you are one, you dumbass. The kid wants to make things easier for you.”

After ending his story and getting such an answer, Daisuke’s hand flew and struck Vampire-Wannabe’s shoulder, making him shriek in pain. Minami scooted away from them, in case Daisuke felt tempted to attack him as well. It was obvious that the other vampire in the room was trying not to laugh, and thus Daisuke glared at him. “Why do you two love my misery so much?” he asked dramatically.

“Because it’s not a misery to begin with,” Minami replied, grinning. “Dai-chan, he knows you’re a vampire already, and he’s okay with that.”

Daisuke rolled his eyes. Kyousuke _wasn’t_ okay with that at first, and Daisuke still remembered him storming out his apartment when he saw him drinking his stash of retail blood. Sometimes he regretted the fact that his assistant had to find out that way, since he’d prepared for a speech for when the time was right.

“Stop wallowing, stupid,” Vampire-Wannabe chided, rubbing his shoulder. “He was shocked when he found out, but that doesn’t mean he wanted to leave you. He’s still around until now, isn’t he? _That_ means he’s okay with you being a blood-drinking mythical character. Seriously, Dai-chan, why don’t you just ask him out or something?”

Minami nodded in agreement. Daisuke hated the fact that even the calmest of them hadn’t sided with him this time. “You two have been beating around the bush for months, you know. In his case, it’s understandable. You’re his superior and he doesn’t want to offend you. Even though you two have become closer than before, he still respects you and needs his job.”

“In your case, Dai-chan,” Vampire-Wannabe stated. “You are just _dense_.”

“Shut up before I throw something at you two,” Daisuke hissed, and the rest laughed. He glanced at the clock and sighed. “Come on, we should get ready.”

Still amused, Minami and Vampire-Wannabe looked back at the mirror as they tidied up their clothes and combed their hair. Their famous internet show, Triple Zone, would start in half an hour. They were busy with themselves when the door was knocked.

“Come in,” Minami spoke.

The door opened and Kyousuke walked in. Vampire-Wannabe sniggered automatically and Daisuke threw a comb to his head. That didn’t stop him and Daisuke gave up. He turned at his assistant with a sigh. “Don’t mind that guy, he’s just horsing around. What is it, Mao-kun, anything you wanna show me?”

“Just want to give you this.” Kyousuke handed him a small bag. Daisuke cursed in his mind when he realized what that was; his important script was in it. He wasn’t supposed to be this forgetful! “You left it in the hall when you were having a break.”

“Thank you, Mao-kun.” Daisuke intended to make him leave before his two friends could tease him further, but Minami chose that time to open his mouth.

“Weird. You almost never leave your belongings behind, Dai-chan.”

“He’s distracted, Kei-chan!” Vampire-Wannabe suddenly yelled, and the urge to throw the nearest chair blared to life inside Daisuke. “He’s distracted because the party is nearing and he wants to go with Mao-kun!”

“Shut up before I make you, Ryouma!”

Trying his best to ignore them, Daisuke turned and saw Kyousuke’s flushed cheeks. “You can leave now, Mao-kun. I’ll see you after the show, okay?”

“Alright.” To Daisuke’s surprise—and horror—Kyousuke didn’t. He walked past him and towards Vampire-Wannabe. Daisuke watched as he bowed before him and smiled shyly. “Thank you, Baba-san, for the invitation.”

Daisuke was horrified when he saw a smirk on Vampire-Wannabe’s lips. _He’s up to no good, that silly horse_. “You’re welcome, Mao-kun. Can I have your number? I need to talk to you.”

“What for?!” Daisuke shouted before he could stop himself. Kyousuke flinched and Vampire-Wannabe’s smirk became even wider.

“Dai-chan,” Minami suddenly intervened. “Why are you so worked up? Ryouma’s just asking for his number, that’s all.” His volume dropped to a whisper. “You’re not jealous, aren’t you?”

His question killed all the remark Daisuke had in mind. He watched as Kyousuke blinked a few times—a gesture he did whenever he was nervous—and let them exchange numbers. Dread starting to rise inside him. Whatever Vampire-Wannabe and his other friends were up to, that didn’t mean good.

* * *

And so, Halloween came.

A few minutes past noon, Daisuke found himself standing in front of an unfamiliar building. After he decided to go as his true self, Kyousuke had made true of his word and prepared a costume for him. At first, his assistant wanted to deliver it himself to Daisuke’s apartment, but since the vampire was bored of no work on the day, he decided to pay Kyousuke a visit.

It wasn’t long until Daisuke arrived before Kyousuke’s door. He was going to knock when he heard voices from the inside.

 

_“No, no, get off! Get off!”_

_“Stop wiggling away from me! This won’t hurt, I promise!”_

_“I don’t want it!”_

_“You’re the one telling me you do! Now, stay still!”_

_“No!”_

 

Sensing something bad was happening inside, Daisuke decided to take a drastic move. He kicked the door open, and the scene that appeared before him made him gape in shock. Kyousuke was pinned against the wall, his wrists tightly gripped on the top of his head… by someone Daisuke was more than familiar with.

“Ryouma?”

Vampire-Wannabe jerked himself away from Daisuke’s assistant, his face pale. “Dai-chan! W-why are you here?”

“What are _you_ doing here?”

“It’s just… uh… I can explain… it’s not like what you think, Dai-chan, it’s just—”

“Nothing,” Kyousuke suddenly spoke up. He straightened and approached Daisuke, his expression unreadable. His tone sounded composed and strangely cold. “It’s nothing, Dai-chan. Are you here for your costume? Please sit down, I’ll take it.”

Daisuke watched them with mixed feelings, and his wall of aloofness won in the end. He stayed on his feet, and almost didn’t move when Kyousuke emerged from his bedroom to give him a bag. “There you go, Dai-chan. I was going to your place, but since you’re here… I’m sorry for not giving it sooner so that you have to come here.”

“It’s okay,” he said forcefully. “Well, I’ll leave, then.”

With that, he was gone with a conflicted mind.

* * *

Taiki Naito was preparing for the Halloween party with his Hyoutei teammates when Daisuke contacted him, confused on how he was supposed to do. He’d agreed to meet the vampire in the restaurant nearby, while continuously telling him not to disconnect the phone and demanding him what was going on. Daisuke’s reassurances didn’t work, for it merely raised more suspicion.

“Dai-chan, are you sure you’re okay?” he asked as he sat down across from Daisuke. “You’re not sick, aren’t you? Will you come tonight?”

“That’s the problem, Naito-kun.” Daisuke sighed. It didn’t take long for him to spill. Naito, like Minami, didn’t react much as he retold the story, although Vampire-Wannabe was involved. Even after all these years, Daisuke still couldn’t figure out the nature of Naito and Vampire-Wannabe’s relationship. Naito didn’t even show any signs of _irritation_ over the fact that Daisuke found Kyousuke and Vampire-Wannabe in a rather compromising situation.

“You’re not angry?” Daisuke asked in the end.

Naito blinked as if he just woke up. “Why should I? I know Baba-chan. Even though he likes to fool around, he’s not stupid.”

“Not stupid enough to betray you?”

“Not stupid enough to betray _you_ , Dai-chan.” Naito smiled. “He knows well how you feel about your assistant, and he’s not stupid enough to jeopardize your feelings and your friendship. I’m sure he has a reason why he ended up in Mao-kun’s house.”

“You sure are calm about this, Naito-kun.”

The smile widened. “Well, someone has to be, Dai-chan. Thing is, you should talk to him.”

“Ryouma?”

“No. Mao-kun. You said he sounded cold when you came, right? Maybe he’s mad at you about something you haven’t known. Talk to him, Dai-chan. Find out what’s going on with him. It’s a key of a healthy relationship.”

Daisuke huffed, denial clouding his mind. “Don’t talk about it as if I were in a relationship with him.”

“Hush, hush. To be honest, that’s what we all hope you will be. That kid’s strong, y’know, we can see that. He can handle you just fine. He’s resilient and you’re lonely. What else do we want from you two?”

“Don’t start. Naito-kun, _please_. Not you too.”

Naito stood and shrugged. “We all just want you to be happy. Me. Baba-chan. Kei-chan. Doori-kun. Especially Baba-chan, he’s known you since forever. If that involves that cute assistant of yours, we’re more than ready to push you to the right direction.” He paused. “And, Dai-chan, don’t even think of not coming tonight.”

“How do you know that?”

“That’s why we’re here, aren’t we?” The younger actor smirked. “I can understand how upset you are with Mao-kun and Baba-chan, but if you don’t face it, things won’t change. It’s tiring, you know, running away from your problems. Listen, I promise to talk to Baba-chan if you do the same to Mao-kun.”

Daisuke realized that Naito was right, so he nodded. “Deal. I’ll be there.”

“Good. I’ll see you tonight.” He was already walking away when he stopped and turned at Daisuke, who was still seated. “Oh, Dai-chan?”

“Yeah?”

“The venue has a conservatory nearby. A greenhouse, I mean, and it’s usually empty at night. You two can talk there if you want to.”

* * *

 

Daisuke was in the middle of tying his bowtie—while wondering why vampires had to wear capes—when he heard his front door being knocked. He opened it and revealed someone he at first couldn’t recognize, thanks to the mask, hat, and sunglasses that covered his face.

“Mao-kun?” He was astonished. “What are you wearing?”

“I’m paparazzi, Dai-chan.” Kyousuke’s voice sounded weird, as if he were speaking with his mouth full. It was when Daisuke realized that he was also carrying a backpack, which made him look more like a schoolboy. “I’ll spy celebrities from behind the bushes, trying to find out what exactly you are.”

“You look more like me when I don’t want any fans to come closer.” Daisuke rolled his eyes. He was amused, but didn’t want to show it. “Let’s just go, or Ryouma will have my head.”

And so they went. Kinoshita had arranged a car as their transportation for the night, and half an hour later Daisuke found himself standing in front of the party’s venue. He reluctantly allowed Kyousuke to lead him in, and sighed.

It was a normal Halloween party, in Daisuke’s opinion. So-called spooky decorations and people in costumes were everywhere. Some of them were enjoying the snacks and drinks from the tables placed on each corner of the hall. The vampire recognized some of the Tenimyu actors, mostly the ones he’d met during Vampire-Wannabe’s reign. He had to appreciate some of their costumes, though, for he was sure those cost a lot.

Doori, for example. He came as a pirate, complete with the eye-patch and wooden leg. Minami, who looked like an English sea captain, followed not far behind.

“Dai-chan! Mao-kun! Come here!”

Knowing he had no reason not to, Daisuke approached the young actor. “Where are the others?” he asked.

“Baba-chan’s talking to Kane-chan, I guess. He’ll be around here soon, just wait,” Minami answered before tilting his head to a corner. “And if you’re asking for Naito-kun, there he is, just being in character.”

Daisuke followed his direction and saw a certain young man, dressed in a familiar Hyoutei uniform, sleeping behind a table. He didn’t seem bothered by the crowd around him, despite of the fact that he was sleeping near people who were chatting so noisily Daisuke could almost catch every word they were talking. It was so amusing that Daisuke grinned despite his bad mood. “He comes as Jirou?”

“Very… creative,” Kyousuke added quietly.

Doori laughed. “Indeed, Mao-kun. Ryuuki told me that the hosts have to dress as their characters, so that’s why they don’t wear Halloween costumes. Now, let’s get some drink.”

Minami had to struggle to keep up with his Echizen’s bouncy steps as they approached Naito’s table. Naito’s Hyoutei teammates made shushing gestures at those two, telling them that they couldn’t wake their narcoleptic friend. Daisuke and Kyousuke, who came a while later, only nodded and let him be.

“Cheers!”

They were enjoying their drink when Daisuke’s friend finally appeared. “Trick or Treat?!” he exclaimed, grinning so widely it looked weird on him because he was wearing his Seigaku uniform and Tezuka glasses. He even had his hair styled as the stoic tennis captain, which made his happy expression even more peculiar.

“Baba-chan, Tezukas don’t smile like that,” Doori commented. “It’s scary.”

Vampire-Wannabe glanced at him and rolled his eyes. “Let’s say Seigaku’s captain is drunk today. Honestly! You guys can come with cool costumes and I’m stuck as this stone-faced tennis captain! As if I haven’t played him long enough already!” He paused as he turned to Daisuke. “I wanna go as a vampire so you won’t be alone, Dai-chan, but the hosts have to wear our uniforms. Too bad!”

“I’m fine going as the only vampire,” Daisuke replied, flashing his real fangs at his friends.

“Really?”

“What?” To the vampire’s surprise, it came from Kyousuke. He wanted to answer when he remembered the cold tone his assistant had used when he came earlier that day. It annoyed him, somehow. “Of course I’m good with coming as a vampire, Mao-kun. I’ve been alone all this time, after all.”

Daisuke couldn’t see his face clearly, but he noticed his assistant’s frown. Before he could speak, Kyousuke had excused himself and left the hall. The circle of friends watched him in astonished silence.

“Dai-chan, you idiot,” Minami suddenly remarked, and the others nodded in agreement.

“Huh?”

“I’ll talk to him, you guys wait here,” Doori spoke up. “And keep that idiot in place!”

“Huh?!” Daisuke repeated. “What are you talking about, Doori-kun?”

But Doori was already gone—he sure ran fast with that wooden leg—and neither actor wanted to answer his question.

* * *

Nobody wanted to talk to Daisuke while Doori was gone as they separated themselves in a not-so-nonchalant way. Even more annoyed than before, Daisuke decided to stay away from them. He talked to a few Tenimyu actors he knew before reaching a certain table and stood next to it. It didn’t take a long time for a certain someone to wake up. Apparently, Jirou had some kind of survival instinct that would wake him up even if Daisuke didn’t speak.

“Have a good sleep, Naito-kun?”

“Uh-huh,” was the reply. “What are you doing here, Dai-chan?”

“Being ditched,” he grumbled, grabbing a glass of drink from the table. He was disappointed that it was water, but he was determined not to let it show. He couldn’t lose his cool, after all, even when he was extremely annoyed. “Apparently our friends think I am an idiot for something I don’t understand.”

Naito straightened on his seat. “What happened?”

Daisuke told his story. To his surprise, Naito didn’t even look sympathetic after he was finished. “What?”

“They’re right. You _are_ an idiot.”

“Not you too, Naito-kun. What’s going on here? Tell me or I’ll leave.”

“Don’t be such a killjoy, Dai-chan.” Naito rolled his eyes and stood. “I guess I don’t have a choice. Come with me.”

* * *

The greenhouse was dark, but Daisuke could see people’s silhouette inside it. Naito led him to the door and knocked. It wasn’t long until Doori appeared, watching the newcomers with interest. “I see you’re here finally.”

“Where’s Baba-chan?” Naito grumbled. “I thought he’s the one here. His idea, his business.”

“If he’s here, I’m sure Dai-chan will break his face.”

Daisuke frowned and turned to Naito. “You really should talk to him before I do.”

“Alright, alright, I will. Now, get in before I make you.”

Naito made true of his words before Daisuke had the chance to react. He practically pushed him in and left with Doori, abandoning an absolutely confused Daisuke in the darkness. “Hello? Naito-kun? Doori-kun? Anyone?”

“Dai-chan?”

A click was heard, and it was bright. Daisuke found himself standing in front of the entrance of the conservatory and his eyes spotted someone almost immediately. “Mao-kun?”

Kyousuke stood next to the lamp switch, but it wasn’t why Daisuke was surprised to see him. He no longer wore his casual clothes, even though the mask and sunglasses remained on his face. What made Daisuke gape in shock was that his assistant was wearing the exact same costume as his. “What are you wearing?”

“Come here, Dai-chan.”

Confused, the actor did and stopped when he was close enough. “What are you wearing?” he repeated his question.

“Help me with these?” Kyousuke asked back, gesturing at his face.

Daisuke obliged, and slowly removed Kyousuke’s sunglasses while the young man removed the mask himself. The sight that was hidden beneath the pieces of clothing left Daisuke flabbergasted. “Whoa.”

Kyousuke’s eyes were red and he was grinning. That way, Daisuke could see fake fangs at two points of his teeth’s upper row.

His assistant was going as a vampire, just like Daisuke himself.

“B-but… why?”

“It… it was stupid, at first.” Kyousuke blushed, the pale make-up applied on his face made it more visible. “I… I thought you were embarrassed to go alone as a vampire, so I decide to be one as well. I know you’re not really into this party, but Baba-san said it was good for you to go because the Tenimyu casts knows you well. He also said that you won’t like it if I dressed the same with you from the start, which is why I covered myself on the way here.”

“You and Ryouma planned this together?”

If possible, Kyousuke’s grin widened. “Baba-san did almost all the work, including this.” He pointed at his red eyes. “Contact lenses really scare me, Dai-chan. It was the hardest work of them all, getting those on me.”

“Contacts?” Daisuke watched him open-mouthed as his mind put two and two together. “That’s why he was in your house?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t wear the contacts myself, so I called him. I’m sorry that it probably cause misunderstanding on your behalf.” Kyousuke didn’t look remorseful, because the grin, even though it wasn’t as wide as before, was still there.

“Why were you so annoying when I came?”

“You broke my door, Dai-chan. I’m bound to be annoyed.” The grin vanished, and the blush returned. “Well… I don’t know, to be honest. You surprised me, especially after you did such a stunt. I thought you got a wrong idea, so I decided to act as if all was fine. Don’t worry, there’s nothing between us.”

“Better keep it that way, or Naito-kun will have your head,” Daisuke remarked, rather coldly. “It reminds me of something. I still need to fix your door.”

Kyousuke laughed, and the awkwardness subsided. “Right. Listen, I truly apologize for what happened. It was all a misunderstanding. I hope you’re not angry.”

One look at the sincere expression had Daisuke on his softer side. “It’s okay, Mao-kun, I’m not angry at you.” _Not anymore, I guess_. “I need to talk to Ryouma about this. He shouldn’t have used you like that.”

“I don’t mind. Really, I don’t.” Kyousuke smirked this time. “Besides, it’s fun to play with you sometimes, Dai-chan.”

Daisuke grabbed his hands and squeezed them. “Shut up and let’s go back before they find us and spread gossips. I don’t want any of them to think we’re kissing or something in this greenhouse.”

Looking amused, Kyousuke nodded and they walked out the conservatory, hand in hand.

* * *

“There they are! Took you long enough! Seriously, what were you two doing in there?”

“Shut it.”

Minami snorted to his hand as Doori kept his cheeky expression. “I see you two have made up. That’s good,” the vampire commented. Daisuke shrugged and Kyousuke blushed, but neither of them contradicted his remark.

Doori grinned and grabbed Kyousuke’s hand. “Let’s dance, guys! And I haven’t introduced Mao-kun to everyone, as well. I’m sure they’ll love you!”

Daisuke watched as the two younger men strolled away from them, leaving him with the former Tezuka actor. “So, what now?” he asked, just to break the silence.

“Doori-kun’s right, Dai-chan.” Minami smiled at him. “We should join the guys on the dance floor. I heard Hyoutei B came up with an idea of dancing in pairs.”

Before Daisuke could ask what that was, he was already dragged towards the dancing group. Vampire-Wannabe was there too, but he didn’t recognize Daisuke and Minami’s arrival for he was surrounded by his Seigaku teammates. Well, all of them, save for his Kikumaru, who was fawning over Kyousuke with another guy.

“Seems like Mao-kun makes a perfect Kikumaru,” Minami remarked, loud enough to beat the music so Daisuke was able to hear. “In case you don’t know, Shouta-kun and Setomaru are teaching him.”

They watched as Kyousuke tried to copy Kikumaru’s acrobatic moves, and succeeded almost immediately. Shouta and Seto laughed and clapped their hands before teaching him another move that ended in a backflip. Despite the cape he was wearing, Kyousuke could do a backflip without getting entangled with the piece of clothing, which made Daisuke gape in amazement. He had never seen his shy assistant so… _active_ before.

“You better close your mouth, Dai-chan. It’s scraping the ground right now since you just found out your assistant apparently has quite an acrobatic body.”

Surprised, Daisuke did what he was told. He glared at Minami, who smirked in return. He didn’t have the chance to do something else because Naito had approached them, with a grin on his face. “Dai-chan! Kei-chan!”

“Huh?”

“How long will you two stay there? C’mon, join us!”

Naito pulled them to join the crowd, which had been divided into two lines. He pushed Daisuke to one of them, while he dragged Minami to join the other with himself. Next to Daisuke, Doori nudged him, which he replied with a small smile. Not so far from them, Vampire-Wannabe stood, and Naito positioned himself right across from him. The music—a Tenimyu song Daisuke had heard before—started, the two lines merged, and Daisuke understood. He was supposed to dance with the person who was standing _right_ across from him. He looked up and found out who it was.

Shouta Takasaki was smiling at him, whilst his hand pushed his Kikumaru trademark white plaster back to his cheek. “Let’s dance, Daisuke-san.”

Daisuke grabbed his hand and spun around. His long hours spent in Seigaku practices made him able to memorize some of their moves. Pretending they were holding their rackets, Daisuke started to imitate some of Oishi’s moves he remembered. With a grin, Shouta picked up instantly and they spent their time with Synchro’s dancing. Despite it wasn’t the song played in the room, it worked pretty well.

“Hey, he’s mine!” someone shouted from the background.

The Kikumaru actor barked a short laugh. “C’mere and join us, Tsuji!”

Tsuji, Shouta’s Golden Pair partner, merely laughed and resumed his own dancing with his partner. Crawford, it seemed; Daisuke was able to recognize the former Higa captain from one of Vampire-Wannabe’s old rehearsals. And wasn’t he the one who had helped Naito to break Minami’s code when Doori had been kidnapped?

Around five minutes later, the music changed. It was just as upbeat, but it was another Tenimyu song that Daisuke failed to identify. “Time to find someone else,” Shouta half-exclaimed, taking another Seigaku’s—Ebo’s, most probably—hand. “Good luck, Daisuke-san!”

And so Daisuke did. He moved to the right, trying to find someone, when a hand was extended to his view. It was one he was more than familiar with, and when he looked up he knew full well the face behind those Tezuka’s glasses.

“C’mon, Dai-chan.”

The joy Daisuke had felt with Shouta dissipated. “No.”

Vampire-Wannabe looked crestfallen, but his hand didn’t waver. “I’ll explain later. Please? They’ll play my favorite after this, with Kei-chan’s Seigaku singing. I wanna dance with it.”

“Why don’t you dance with Naito-kun instead? Or someone else?”

“He’s dancing with the devils. They might be coming as vampires, but they’re still devils to me.” Vampire-Wannabe’s eyes flickered to the side, where Naito was dancing with Minami’s Oishi and Kikumaru. Takki and Setomaru—those were their names, if Daisuke wasn’t wrong—also came as vampires, which was a surprise. He hadn’t noticed that before, even though he had watched Seto with Kyousuke earlier. He realized that they weren’t wearing capes, which probably was why the vampire aspect was hard to recognize.

If he weren’t so upset at his friend, Daisuke would’ve laughed at the blatant expression of jealousy on Vampire-Wannabe’s face. “‘Pets shouldn’t be dancing with anyone else’ and all that?” Despite everything, it was indeed amusing to watch his friend like that. “Alright, alright. Quit looking at him like that, Ryouma.”

“You’ll dance with me?”

Daisuke groaned. It was hard to stay angry at his silly horse of a friend. “Only if you’ll explain everything later. Just let Naito-kun dance with those ‘devils’ if he wants to; I can’t stand seeing you look like a jealous lover.”

“Deal.” It was the only thing Vampire-Wannabe said.

The music changed again, and it was when Daisuke realized that he’d missed the former song. When it began, Daisuke recognized it as the one sung in the first season of Tenimyu. Minami and some of his Seigaku teammates, including Doori and his Golden Pair, grabbed the microphones and began to sing.

Vampire-Wannabe grabbed Daisuke’s hand. “You know the moves, right?”

Daisuke merely nodded. He had watched this song being rehearsed so many times he could copy almost all of Tezuka’s moves. Vampire-Wannabe grinned in satisfaction as they danced the exact same way. It’d been years since they last did the choreography, but the song was an easy way to trigger Daisuke’s memories.

It was in the middle of the song that Vampire-Wannabe opened his mouth and spoke to someone else outside their circle.

“Come join us!”

Much to Daisuke’s surprise (which was unnecessary, knowing how devious Vampire-Wannabe could be), he was talking to his assistant. In a blink of eye, Kyousuke was there and the three of them danced together for the rest of the song. When the third Seigaku generation had finished the song, Kyousuke glanced at Daisuke and blushed for some reason.

Another song started, and Vampire-Wannabe left them with a smirk on his face. Daisuke had to refrain himself from tripping him or doing something similar.

“Are you cold?” Daisuke asked in concern, for the blush on his assistant’s cheek was increasing.

“No. Just… dance with me?”

Like the previous one, the song was familiar. Daisuke chuckled, letting himself being swept into the joyous feeling of the party, and took Kyousuke’s hand.

“My pleasure.”

Kyousuke smiled, fake fangs and red contact lenses and all, and it turned out to be Daisuke’s turn to blush.

* * *

The party ended two hours later.

Despite the initial sullen mood, Daisuke had fun with his friends. When they were done dancing, Naito brought them drinks and they just enjoyed themselves in one corner. After knowing the party had nearly ended—with Vampire-Wannabe speaking out his gratefulness as one of the hosts—Daisuke called for the car to pick them up. The vampire remembered something when he and Kyousuke were already settled in the car. It embarrassed him, but he knew he had to fix it. They discussed it together and Kyousuke ended up agreeing on Daisuke’s plan, even though it seemed like he wasn’t really hot towards the idea.

It was hours later when Daisuke heard a knock on his apartment door. Sighing, he walked towards it, his glass of retail blood in hand. Before opening the door, he turned back and glanced at the one leading to his bedroom. “Better get this one over with,” he muttered and opened the door.

A long-haired Vampire-Wannabe was there. Daisuke shuddered automatically, for it reminded him to the person that saved him back hundred years ago. Damn, they really looked similar. “Seriously, Ryouma?”

“Didn’t you tell me to explain everything?”

“I was talking about _mornings_. Not in the middle of the night. You know, the time when the sun is visible and shone upon the earth?”

“I know. I just can’t sleep before I apologize properly. So… can I? Please?”

Knowing that his friend couldn’t wander on the streets on one in the morning, Daisuke stepped aside and let him in. “You know, I’m still mad at you.”

“I’m sorry.” Vampire-Wannabe threw himself on Daisuke’s couch. “I really am. I know I crossed a line.”

Daisuke rubbed his temple, knowing that he was fighting a lost battle. There was something about him—or Vampire-Wannabe himself—that made anger never stayed long. Maybe he was just _too_ forgiving. “Fine. Just don’t do that again.”

“But why were you so angry? Does he mean _that_ much for you?”

“Don’t be too loud,” Daisuke replied tiredly, putting down his glass on the nearest table.

“Why? I can scream as loud as I want whenever I’m here and no neighbor will knock your door.” Realization dawned on him and Daisuke rose in alarm. “I know!”

Just like the phone incident in the restaurant, Vampire-Wannabe was able to avoid Daisuke’s grip and rushed to the bedroom door. Daisuke realized, as soon as his mind could catch up, that his friend was going to open it.

“Ryouma, don’t!”

Too late. Vampire-Wannabe had opened and saw what was inside. Or, to be precise, _who_ was inside. He froze on the doorway, unable to speak. Daisuke took advantage of his shock and pulled him away from the door before closing it. “Happy now?” he snapped.

A grin slowly appeared on Vampire-Wannabe’s lips as he released himself from Daisuke’s grasp and sat back down on the couch. “You let Mao-kun on your bed? _Mao-kun?!_ What did I miss here, Dai-chan?”

“Keep it down, Ryouma, you’ll wake him.”

“Why is he here?”

“I broke his door, and I think it won’t be safe for him if he’s there. So, I’m taking responsibility of my actions.”

“Am I interrupting something?”

Daisuke glared at him. “One more word and I’m kicking you out.”

“Alright, alright, fine. I’m here to apologize, not to anger you even more.”

With a sigh, the vampire sat next to his friend. “Why else are you here, Ryouma, and why are you dressed like that?”

Vampire-Wannabe suddenly looked serious as he played with his long hair. “I want to trigger yours and Mao-kun’s memories.”

“What?”

“Does this trigger any memories from you?” he asked back, gesturing at his long hair.

Daisuke watched him in confusion. Everything was completely normal; he in his apartment, and knowing full well that it was Vampire-Wannabe who was speaking. No flashbacks out of the blue… no sudden scraps of unknown memory appeared before him. Nothing, just him staying in the present time. “No. I guess not. Why?”

“I lied to you, Dai-chan. I’m sorry. I said that I wanted to go as a vampire to the party, but it was a lie. Actually, I wanted to go as this person. The one who saved you back in 1691, the person who started the line of VD in this country. Someone who’d lived within me all my life.”

Daisuke blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Can’t you see, Dai-chan? I’m not only a direct descendant. I’m the reincarnation of your savior.”

* * *

The silence that followed after Vampire-Wannabe’s revelation was long and unnerving, yet neither of them could find anything to say. Eventually, Daisuke did, but it came out as two words, spoken in a low tone. “Explain yourself.”

“For five years after I realized that I was a VD, I’ve been having dreams that feel too real they’re more like memories. I could see your face from my horse when I saved you. After you’re deemed safe and able to control your vampire urges, I remember leaving you alone with a human family so you won’t be able to see me and remember your horrible clan. I feel dying, too, in my dreams. I talked with Kei-chan and Taiki-kun about this, and they decided to dig more about my ancestors’ involvement with vampires.”

“And so they came to that conclusion.”

“More or less, yeah. But it wasn’t until I met Mao-kun that the puzzle is finished.”

“Mao-kun?”

“You sure know that he’s related to the boy you saved, right? The resemblance is uncanny.”

Daisuke felt lightheaded and drank the retail blood just to steady himself. “Is he another reincarnation or just a direct descendant?”

“I don’t know, Dai-chan. That’s why I need to trigger his memories.”

“Why?”

“I have a memory of him coming to me when he was sixteen. He wanted to find you and say thanks, but I didn’t let him. It was better for you to stay away from those that reminded you to your old clan, and that was what I told him. He didn’t take it well.”

“What did he do?”

“The worst.” Vampire-Wannabe inhaled deeply. “He cursed the fate.”

“What?”

“He cursed the fate,” his friend repeated, looking like he was going to cry for some reason. In his emotional state of mind, his eyes had changed to the red ones belonged to the vampire. Even though he’d learned to control it—Naito played a major role in his success—he still turned to his Descent self when he was extremely distressed. “He said that the two of you are bound together, and will meet again. The funniest thing in it is I got in the way as well.”

“So he basically made himself my soulmate.”

“Aren’t you the one who don’t like making things sound romantic?” Vampire-Wannabe asked just to lighten the mood, but Daisuke’s solemn expression stopped him from making more funny remarks. “Yeah, if you want to see it that way. We all know this, so we work hard to get you two together. In my case, I believe that all of this is the work of fate. If what I’m thinking is true, I think he won’t mind being your donor. Not at all.”

“Dai-chan, where are you?”

The two men looked up to the closed door with surprise. “He’s awake,” Daisuke whispered to his friend. Then, with louder voice, he spoke up. “Coming, Mao-kun!”

Vampire-Wannabe stood and walked towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Like I said, I wanna trigger Mao-kun’s memories.”

“Don’t.”

“What?” Vampire-Wannabe stopped walking and turned at Daisuke. “Why are you stopping me?”

Daisuke rose to his feet. They felt shaky. “I… don’t know. But I don’t like thinking about something like that. Just… if he’s… he’s like _you_ , let him remember as time goes. Don’t force him. Please, Ryouma.”

A long pause followed Daisuke’s pleas. Vampire-Wannabe grasped the tip of his hair that reached his chest before he finally responded. “You’re protecting him, just like you protected that boy.”

“If that’s what I need to do, I will.”

“Even if that means he won’t be your donor in the near future? Having him as someone involved in your past will make things easier.”

“Yeah.” Daisuke understood what Vampire-Wannabe intended to do, he really did. But he just couldn’t force _anything_ on his assistant. Not even something utterly selfish in his part, only because his protective nature decided to go on the highest level whenever Kyousuke Hamao was involved. “I will protect him at all costs. Let him be the human he’s supposed to be, Ryouma, not haunted from his ancestor’s words in the past.”

A smile crossed Vampire-Wannabe’s face and he pulled off the long hair, returning his hair to the short, Tezuka-like one.

“Very well, Dai-chan. Very well.”

Daisuke blinked as his mind was filled by memories. At first, they were blurry, but it regained its focus almost immediately. It felt like watching an old movie, the one that was originally black and white but colorized with decent technology. Daisuke blinked once more and the blurry figure next to him cleared itself, showing beautiful long hair and a familiar face.

 

_“I think it’s best if we don’t see each other again.”_

_The long hair was dancing slightly as the wind took them. Daisuke watched his savior with wide eyes. “Why?”_

_“Because you’ll have a better life here. From now on, I don’t know you, and you won’t remember me. Do you understand?”_

_Daisuke didn’t say anything for a long time. He looked around, at the small houses belonged to poor people. Poor_ human beings _who had nothing to eat. He didn’t understand, but he knew he could trust his savior. Maybe he was the one who would make a better life for every single one of those humans._

_“Yes, I do.”  
_

_His savior patted his shoulders lightly. “Very well, Dai-chan. Very well.”_

 

The sound of the door opening cut Daisuke’s memories. He watched as a sleepy Kyousuke stopped on his tracks. “Oh,” was the only thing he said before he woke up completely. Then, his words came out in a rush. “Are you two fighting? I’m sorry if it’s because of me. Dai-chan, please don’t be angry at Baba-san.”

Daisuke found himself smiling at his assistant, pushing the sudden urge to kiss those cute lips to the back of his mind. “Don’t worry, Mao-kun. We’re okay.” He turned at his friend, who was staring at him expressionlessly. “We’re _all_ okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Finished! I took a while writing some scenes in this, and it’s hard already. Hope this will do for now.
> 
> Y’all know where the ‘conservatory/greenhouse’ comes from, right?
> 
> In case you haven’t known, the long-haired BabaRyo is based on him in Miss Boys (and Yowamushi Pedal, to some extent). He just looks awesome in those. I should’ve made his hair green/red instead, to refer more towards YWPD, but that’s just impossible XD
> 
> Naito ‘dancing with the devils’ is a reference to his play Dance with Devils. If I’m not wrong, vampires are the protagonists and devils are the antagonists, which is the base of BabaRyo’s words as he watched Naito dancing.
> 
> And major plot for our dear Vampire-Wannabe! That’s also for sd4ianto, to whom I’ve promised that we’ll see more of the silly horse. Yay! Let’s see what I have in store for Mao, huh… He’s just a normal human being, that’s all I can say. For now. *evil smirk*
> 
> The real-life event I mentioned above is this: my brother used to wear contacts and it was hard to get them on him every time he wanted to. Mao’s response in this story is inspired by that, and also from the fact that he’s scared of contacts.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


End file.
